Continued Israeli Violations in the OPT and the International Community
Is Silent
· 14 Palestinians, including 13
civilians, killed by Israeli occupying forces
· Five Palestinians killed in an assassination
· The Israeli High Court orders the deportation of a
brother and sister of a Palestinian activist from the West Bank to the Gaza
Strip
· Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinian laborers in Hebron
· Continued Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas
resulted in destruction of public and private property, and the arrest of many
Palestinians
· Continued curfews on most of the West Bank towns
· Continued strict siege on the OPT and Palestinian
civilians checked and humiliated at Israeli military checkpoints and roadblocks
On 3 September, the Israeli High Court rejected an
appeal by the two deportees against an Israeli military order to deport them
from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. In a press release issued on Tuesday, 3
September, PCHR strongly condemned the Israeli High Court’s decision, asserting
that the court’s decision effectively legalized a war crime. The unlawful
forcible transfer of a protected person is a violation of articles 49 and 147 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, a war crime. In addition,
the transfer also constitutes collective punishment.
Israeli occupying forces
have perpetrated more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians and
their property, including willful killings, shelling of, and incursion into
Palestinian areas, assassination, agricultural land leveling and confiscation,
destruction of private and public property. This week, 14 Palestinians, including 13 civilians, were killed by
Israeli occupying forces.
In a continuation of the policy
of assassination officially adopted by the Israeli government against
Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Saturday, 31 August, Israeli
occupying forces conducted an assassination in which a member of the
Palestinian Military Intelligence Service and four children were killed. Six others were wounded. Two Israeli combat helicopters fired three
missiles at a civilian car, killing one man accused by Israel of heading the
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Tubas, and two youths who were in the car. Two passing children were also killed. One of those traveling in the car was able to
escape when the first missile hit the ground.
In an apparent extrajudicial
execution, on Sunday, 1 September, Israeli occupying forces shot dead four
Palestinian laborers in Bani Na’im village in Hebron. Israeli forces arrested the four laborers at
their work in a marble company, took them to an adjacent area and shot them
dead.
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupying forces
shelled and conducted incursions into Palestinian areas. On 29 August, the
Israeli occupying forces moved into a residential area in Rafah. They opened fire at the area, killing a child
and wounding eight civilians. They also
demolished 21 Palestinian stores. On
Tuesday, 3 September, the Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Salam neighborhood
in Rafah and began demolishing a family home as its residents were sleeping,
without any prior warning. Israeli
forces also prevented neighbors from offering help to the wounded. Throughout the week, the Israeli occupying
forces shelled Palestinian residential areas in Khan Yunis, wounding at least
than eight Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli occupying
forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively
punishing the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian
areas, transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian civilians’
economic, social and cultural rights. Thousands of Palestinians continue to be
subjected to a tight military curfew imposed by Israeli occupying forces. In
the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces checked Palestinian civilians and
their cars at Abu Houli and al-Matahen military checkpoints, north of Khan
Yunis, on 29 August and 2 September. They forced Palestinian civilians out of
their cars and checked them.
In a
continuation of the policy of assassination officially adopted by the Israeli
government against Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Saturday, 31
August, the Israeli occupying forces conducted an assassination, in which a
member of the Palestinian Military
Intelligence Service and four children were killed and six others were wounded.
According
to information available to PCHR, at approximately 09:00 an Israeli scouting
aircraft was seen flying over Tubas town in the northern Jordan Valley. The aircraft flew over the area until
approximately 15:00 when it disappeared. At approximately 17:00, while a civilian car that had an Israeli number,
a black Mitsubishi, was traveling on the main road in the east of Tubas, a
populated area, two Israeli combat helicopters suddenly flew over the area and
fired three missiles at the car. The
first missile hit the ground, approximately 30m away from the car, the second
one hit the back side of the car, while the third one hit the car
directly. Jihad Sawafta, 28, from Tubas,
wanted by Israeli occupying forces, was traveling in the car but was able to
escape when the first missile hit the ground. He was seriously wounded. When
people heard sounds of explosions, they hurried towards the affected area. Medical and rescue personnel evacuated three
burnt bodies from the car. The three
persons were identified as:
1. Ra’fat Qadri ‘Abdul Latif
Daraghma, 29, from Tubas town, a member of the Palestinian Military
Intelligence Service who was wanted by Israeli occupying forces for having been
a leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the area;
2. Sari ‘Abdul Karim Subeih, 17, from Tayaseer village; and
3. Yazid Yousef Mahmoud ‘Abdul Raziq, 16, from Tayaseer village.
Two
children were also killed by shrapnel while they were near their houses in the
eastern part of Tubas:
1. Ussama Ibrahim Mufleh Abu al-Zeit, 14, hit by shrapnel in the back; and
2. Bahira Burhan Abu al-Zeit, 7, hit by shrapnel in the chest and the
abdomen.
In
addition, five passing civilians were wounded:
1. Ahmed Samer Hisham, 7, from
Tubas, seriously wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen;
2. Ibrahim Salama Abu ‘Aamer, 28, from Tubas, wounded by shrapnel in the
right shoulder;
3. Nahla Salama Abu ‘Aamer, 40, from Jordan, who was in a visit to her
relatives, wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen;
4. Sayel Mustafa Daraghma, 26,
from Tubas, wounded by shrapnel in the head and the right shoulder; and
5. Mohammed ‘Ali Ibrahim Abu Muhsen, 25, from Tubas, wounded by
shrapnel throughout the body.
At
approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces broke into al-Sayafa area between “Dogit” and “Elli Sinai” settlements, north
of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. They raided and searched some houses of the al-Ghoul family. As they withdrew from the area, they arrested
two members of the family:
1. Mahmoud ‘Eissa Mahmoud al-Ghoul, 16; and
2. Jaber Mahmoud Jaber al-Ghoul,
54.
At
approximately 10:00, Israeli military vehicles, covered by intense shelling,
moved approximately 150m into ‘Omar
Ben al-Khattab Street near Salah al-Din Gate at the Palestinian-Egyptian
border, south of Rafah. Israeli armored
military bulldozers demolished 21 Palestinian stores, which had been closed
since the beginning of the Intifada due to repeated Israeli shelling. At approximately 11:00, Israeli soldiers
fired at a video camera that belongs to Bassam Mohammed Mas’oud of Reuters news
agency, set near Bahlul fuel station. From 14:00 to 20:00, Israeli occupying forces shelled the area, killing
14-year-old ‘Abdul Hadi Anwar al-Hamida with a live bullet in the head, and
wounding eight other civilians, mostly children:
1. Mohammed Amin Shahin, 12,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the chest;
2. Ahmed Nabil Abu Lebda, 12,
wounded by shrapnel in the face;
3. Shadi Na’im Abu ‘Anza, 14,
wounded by shrapnel in the right arm;
4. Taha Mustafa Jaber, 12, wounded
by a live bullet in the right elbow;
5. Naji Fu’ad Abu Jazar, 15,
wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis;
6. Mohammed Mousa Abu Jazar, 17,
wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh;
7. Ayman Isma’il al-Faramawi, 17,
wounded by shrapnel in the chest and the limbs; and
8. Walid Hussein ‘Abdul ‘Aal,
20, wounded by shrapnel in the right foot.
At
approximately 18:00, while an infantry unit of the Israeli occupying forces was
patrolling at the eastern entrance of al-Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah while
a curfew was imposed on the area. Mohammed Hassan Jad al-Haq al-Toukhi, 15, threw stones towards Israeli
soldiers, who responded by firing at him from a distance of approximately 60m,
seriously wounding him with a rubber-coated metal bullet that entered the back
and exited the abdomen. According to
medical sources, the bullet damaged the intestines, the pancreas, and the
spleen.
At
the same time, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into Jenin to re-impose a
curfew. They opened fire at Palestinian
houses, wounding 23-year-old Majdi Ibrahim Abu al-Sibaa’ with a live bullet in
the right leg, while he was near his house.
At
approximately 21:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the Palestinian
security compound (Muqata’a) in Nablus. Then, they ordered the staff of the Palestine Crescent Society and
residents of adjacent houses to open windows of these buildings. Soon, sounds of heavy explosions were heard. Israeli forces destroyed the northern part of
Muqata’a and the headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior.
At
approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in a military site in Tal Zo’rob
area in the southwest of Rafah opened fire at the opposite Zo’rob square. Bassem Mansour Rashwan, 27, was wounded by a
live bullet in the left arm.
At
approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at houses in Khan
Yunis refugee camp, wounding a Palestinian civilian and his daughter while
inside their house:
1. ‘Afif
Hussein Khalil Sarhan, 56, wounded by a live bullet in the neck; and
2. Fatema ‘Afif Hussein Sarhan, 10, wounded by shrapnel in
the chest.
At
approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at houses in Jenin
refugee camp, wounding 25-year-old ‘Alaa’
Farouq Mohammed Abu al-Haija with shrapnel in the chest.
At
approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces again shelled houses in Jenin
refugee camp, wounding 15-year-old Nihad Jamil Hassan Salama with shrapnel in
the head, while he was on the roof of his family’s house.
At
approximately 11:00, during the curfew imposed on al-Am’ari refugee camp in
Ramallah, a number of Palestinian boys and young men threw stones towards an
Israeli military jeep that was patrolling in the camp. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal
bullets at the stone throwers, wounding two:
1. Lu’ai ‘Abed Hammad, 20, wounded
in the shoulder; and
2. Jihad Mohammed Abu Humeid, 14,
wounded in the back.
At
approximately 16:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military
vehicles, moved approximately 1200m into al-Manara neighborhood and Gizan
al-Najjar area in the south of Khan Yunis. Israeli soldiers stationed at “Morag”
settlement, south of Khan Yunis, searched the area and took up position on
branch roads for approximately half an hour.
At
approximately 17:45, while a number of Palestinian children were near their
houses in the center of Jenin refugee camp, Israeli occupying soldiers fired at
them from a distance of approximately 30m, claiming that they had broken the
curfew imposed on the camp. Three
children were wounded:
1. Mohammed Khaled Sa’ad Khalifa,
13, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
2. Aaya Mohammed Khaled Khalifa,
7, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg; and
3. Wa’el Jamil Nafe’ al-Sa’di, 16,
wounded by a live bullet in the left leg.
At
approximately 20:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the
vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan
Yunis, and in a military site known as “al-Nouria,” west of al-Amal
neighborhood, opened fire at al-Rabwat area and al-Amal neighborhood. Ahmed ‘Essam Hathat, 20, was wounded by
shrapnel in the face.
Two
hours later, Israeli occupying forces resumed shelling of the two areas, wounding 22-year-old Akram Mohammed Suleiman Abu
Daoud with shrapnel in the chest, while he was on his way back home,
approximately 300m southeast of the aforementioned settlement. In addition, an electricity tower was
destroyed and electricity was cut from the area all night. Two artillery shells hit a greenhouse planted
with tomatoes owned by Yasser Ahmed ‘Awad
al-Astal, severely damaging it. A number
of houses were also damaged.
At
approximately 06:30, Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by indiscriminate
shelling, moved approximately 300m into al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan
Yunis. An Israeli armored military
bulldozer leveled areas of agricultural land owned by the family of al-Sumeiri,
which were razed several months ago.
At
approximately 11:30, Israeli occupying forces surrounded a two-story house in
al-Shurafa area in al-Bireh, owned by Nidhal Mohammed Jawdat Ghousha, 35. They
ordered all those who were inside to get out. They arrested the owner and Sheikh Hssan Yousef, the spokesman of Hamas
in the West Bank.
At
approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the
vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” and “Gani Tal” settlements
shelled al-Amal neighborhood and al-Rabwat area in Khan Yunis. An artillery shell fell near the house of
Ayman Ibrahim al-Hissi in al-Amal neighborhood, approximately 600m away from
Israeli military locations. Two of his
children were wounded: Shadi, 14, seriously wounded by shrapnel in the chest;
and Mohammed, 11, wounded by shrapnel in the left hand. A PCHR field officer reported that the two
children were on their way to a nearby shop when the artillery shell fell near
their house. Two artillery shells also
fell on a road in al-Amal neighborhood, wounding three Palestinian civilians:
1. ‘Ali
Hassan Mohammed al-Zaqzuq, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the legs and the right
thigh;
2. Darwish Mustafa Darwish al-‘Attal, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the chest and
the right hand; and
3. Mohammed Fu’ad ‘Abdul Qader
Jaber, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the chest.
In
al-Rabwat area, six artillery shells hit three greenhouses planted with
vegetables, owned by Yasser, Khalil and Ayman al-Astal, severely damaging
it. A number of houses were also damaged
and Palestinian civilians were extremely terrified.
At
approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations near
al-Matahen Company, northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at al-Jayaiwa area in
al-Qarara village, wounding 23-year-old Sabah Jawad Adib Abu ‘Eid with shrapnel in the right hand, and damaging
a number of houses.
At
approximately 01:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by intense
shelling, moved approximately 150m into
‘Omar Ben al-Khattab Street, adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian border
south of Rafah. An artillery shell hit Bahlul fuel station burning two fuel
machines, while another shell hit an electricity transmitter, cutting
electricity from the area.
At
approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the house of Bassam
al-Sa’di in Jenin refugee camp to arrest him. Israeli soldiers fired at the house. A number of Palestinian gunmen, including the owner’s son ‘Abdul Karim
Bassam al-Sa’di, 16, exchanged fire with Israeli soldier. The son was wounded by a live bullet that
entered the back and exited the chest. He succumbed to his wound upon arrival at hospital.
At
approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces on military vehicles opened fire
at houses in the west of Jenin refugee camp, wounding a young man and a child:
1. Mu’ammar Asa’ad ‘Abdullah
Sabbah, 21, wounded by a live bullet in the back; and
2. Rahaf Khalil Jarrar, 4, wounded
by shrapnel in the left hand.
At
approximately 15:00, medical sources at Rafidya Hospital in Nablus declared
that Ghassan Hamdi Fares al-Shu’abi, 23, from Nablus, succumbed to a wound he
received last week. Al-Shu’abi was
seriously wounded by shrapnel in the head and the chest when an Israeli tank
fired a shell at a number of Palestinian civilians in the old town of Nablus on
24 August 2002. Eight other civilians
were also wounded.
At
approximately 10:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into Jenin. They opened fire at the central market of the
town, wounding David Silver, a Swedish journalist, with a live bullet in the
arm, while he was covering the Israeli incursion into the town.
Israeli
occupying forces again used a Palestinian civilian as a human shield while
chasing her brother in Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin, to arrest
him. According to information available
to PCHR, at approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with
heavy military vehicles and jeeps and supported by two helicopters, moved into
Kufor Ra’ei village, south of Jenin. They surrounded the house of Ra’ed Mohammed Murshed to arrest his
brother-in-law Ghassan Mohammed Abu al-Haija, 32, from Jenin refugee camp. Three hours later, Israeli soldiers forced
Murshed’s wife to get in a military jeep and call on her brother Ghassan to
surrender to Israeli forces, and he did at 19:00.
In an
apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinian
civilians in Burin village, south of Nablus, with two artillery shells. According to information available to PCHR,
while Baher ‘Adul
Ra’ouf Ahmed ‘Eid , 24, and Hussein ‘Abdul Jabbar Hussein al-Najjar, 21, were
in an animal farm owned by ‘Eid, Israeli occupying soldiers in a military
location in the vicinity of “Brakha” settlement, north of Burin village,
approximately 3km away, fired an artillery shell at them. The two were instantly killed. Five minutes later, Israeli soldiers fired
another shell at the farm. Israeli
occupying forces claimed that Israeli soldiers in a military location “noticed
two Palestinian gunmen who were on their way to carry out an armed attack, so
they fired two shells at the two, and in the morning, they discovered the body
of one of them.” An Israeli military
spokesman claimed that “the other gunman was not apparently hurt and could escape
taking his colleague’s gun.” However,
villagers found bodies of the two young men in the site, contrary to Israeli
claims. After the incident, Israeli
occupying forces moved into the village and imposed a curfew. They opened fire at houses, wounding Walid
Jebril ‘Eid, 28, with a live bullet in the left leg.
Israeli
occupying forces moved into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah and began
demolishing a family home over its residents without any prior warning. Israeli forces also prevented neighbors from
offering help to the wounded who were eventually able
to escape unaided from the demolished home.
According
to eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at approximately 05:00, nine tanks and armored
personnel carriers and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupying forces moved approximately
200m into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah, adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian
border. The Israeli bulldozer began
demolishing Fayez ‘Ali Mohammed Abu Hussein’s house while its inhabitants were
sleeping. Although the owner screamed at
the Israeli soldiers to stop the demolition, they did not stop. So, he called on neighbors to help him save
his family. When some neighbors tried to
offer help, Israeli soldiers fired at them. Neighbors again attempted to offer us help, but Israeli tanks fired at
them. Israeli forces continued to fire
at whoever tried to evacuate the family. Only one hour later, a number of neighbors and relatives were able to
reach the house and evacuate all of my family. They were all taken to hospital in an ambulance and a number of civilian
cars.
According
to medical sources at Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, six
members of the family, who were wounded, were evacuated to the hospital:
1. Bahjat Fayez Abu Hussein, 20,
wounded in the head, the right shoulder, the chest and the left hand;
2. Ahmed Fayez Abu Hussein, 17,
wounded in the hands;
3. Majeda Radwan Abu Hussein, 42,
wounded in the feet;
4. Nour Fayez Abu Hussein, 11,
wounded in the head;
5. Hanan Fayez Abu Hussein, 3,
wounded in the abdomen and the right foot;
6. Manal Fayez Abu Hussein, 2,
wounded in the feet;
In
addition, three members of the family suffered from shocked. Another house, owned by Nidhal ‘Abdullah al-‘Emwasi,
was also partially demolished in the incident. Abu Hussein and his family had been forced to evacuate
the original family home on 2 May 2002, when Israeli occupying forces
demolished it together with 11 other houses in al-Salam neighborhood. He was forced to move to another house which
was then demolished on Tuesday.
At
approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military
vehicles and covered by intense gunfire, moved approximately 300m into
Palestinian agricultural land west of “Kfar Darom”
settlement in the east of Deir al-Balah. They searched the area and razed a 2-donums of agricultural land planted
with olives owned by Maher Suleiman Abu Salim.
At
approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces at the eastern border of the Gaza
Strip, southeast of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, shelled
the camp. An artillery shell hit a
school, approximately 1000m away, destroying its gate. No casualties were reported as no student was
at school at that time. Another
artillery shell hit a 3-story house owned by Ibrahim Darwish al-Qattawi,
severely damaging it, but no casualties were reported.
In an
apparent extrajudicial execution, Israeli occupying forces shot dead four
Palestinian workers, including two twins, from al-Shioukh village east of
Hebron:
Hussam
Na’im Dhib Halaiqa, 30;
Hisham
Na’im Dhib Halaiqa, 30;
‘Alaa’ ‘Aatef ‘Ayaida, 23; and
‘Attyea Ahmed Ibrahim Halaiqa, 25.
According
to information available to PCHR, at approximately 02:10, 4-5 Israeli soldiers
raided the yard of Bani Na’im Marble Company, east of Hebron, and arrested four
Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers
took the four civilians away and shot them dead. Israeli occupying forces claimed that the
four were on their way to carry out an armed attack, but the brother of one of
the victims denied this as he saw Israeli soldiers arresting his brother
together with the other three victims. He then heard sounds of shooting in the area to which Israeli soldiers
took the four victims. According to Dr.
‘Abed Rabbu Manasra, director of Palestine Red Crescent Society in Bani Na’im
village, who checked the bodies of the victims before evacuating them to
hospital, each of the victims was shot by at least ten live bullets, mostly in
the head and the chest. The bodies were
also distorted.
In his
testimony to the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the
Environment (LAW), Ishaq Ahmed Ibrahim Halaiqa, from al-Shioukh village and the
victims’ colleague, said:
“On Sunday, 1 September 2002, we finished our work at
02:00. We all sat in the front yard to
have a meal. At approximately 02:10, I
went to the bathroom. When I was back
from the bathroom, I saw 4-5 Israeli soldiers stopping the four young men. There was a light outside which enabled me to
see well. I was approximately 50m away
from them and hid behind stones. I
looked again and I saw the young men with their hands over thei heads and
Israeli soldiers pointing their guns at them. The Israeli soldiers took the young men to an area near the western
entrance of Bani Na’im village. Ten
minutes later, I went to the yard and then mounted the roof of offices which
overlook the area where the Israeli soldiers took the young men. I was not able to see anything because it was
dark. However, I heard a cry of
agony. Two or three minutes later, I
heard sounds of intense gunfire. I heard
one of the young men calling on ‘Alaa’ ‘Ababda, but the voice soon
quietened. Five minutes later, two
Israeli military vehicles arrived at the area. Israeli soldiers who came also opened fire. An Israeli soldier shouted in Hebrew. Israeli forces brought more reinforcements
to the area. Then, I walked towards Bani
Na’im village and then to al-Shioukh village. I arrived there at approximately 06:00. I listened to the Arabic news on the Israeli radio, which said that four
‘terrorists’ were killed in Bani Na’im area. I realized that they were talking about my brother and colleagues. Then, I went with my relatives to Bani Na’im
village and brought there bodies at approximately 10:00.”
*****
PCHR
calls:
1. Upon the international
community to provide immediate and independent international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to
reconvene to take effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance with their obligations under
article 1 and article 146, to ensure the respect of the Convention.
3. Upon the international
community to investigate and prosecute those believed to have committed war
crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before international courts.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its
presence, expand its activities,
and intensify its field operations throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to
activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides
that Israel must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international
community to provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian
people, whose living conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of
the continued siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied
Palestinian Territories.
st9sE’at:19.85pt;text-align:justify;
text-justify:kashida;text-kashida:0%;text-indent:0cm;mso-text-indent-alt:-10.85pt;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo11;tab-stops:list 19.85pt;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:
embed’>1. Younis Ahmed ‘Abdul Hadi, 73;
2. Isma’il Younis Ahmed Abu Jarad, 24; and
3. ‘Abdul Fattah Mohammed Abu Jarda, 20.
At approximately 13:30, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Kfar Darom” settlement in Deir al-Balah
in the central Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian houses and farms west of
the settlement, seriously wounding 12-year-old Ayman ‘Atteya Abu Meghassib with
a live bullet in the head, while he was playing near his house in Heker
al-Jame’ area, approximately 900m west of the settlement.
At approximately 18:00, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Nasser Mansour Abu Mousa, 11, wounded by shrapnel
from a live bullet in the left foot; and
2. Mahmoud Saleh Abu Sahlul, 18, wounded by shrapnel
from a live bullet in the left hand and the neck.
Collective Punishment Measures against Families of
Palestinians Who Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli Targets
In violation of the international law and
humanitarian law which prohibit collective punishment, especially Article 33 of
the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War, which prohibits punishing any protected person for an offense he or she
has not personally committed, and Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, which provides that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary
arrest, detention or exile,” Israeli occupying forces took retaliatory measures
against families of Palestinians who have carried attacks against Israeli
targets both inside the Green Line and in the Occupied Palestinian Terrories.
At approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 1 August, Israeli
occupying forces destroyed the house of ‘Ata Yousef Sarasra in al-Ghawali
neighborhood in Beit Jala. Sarara is the
father of Hazem Sarara, 17, who carried out a bombing in Jerusalem on 30 July
2002. Israeli occupying forces first
surrounded the house and called on its residents through loudspeakers to leave
it. Then, they planted bombs inside the
240-square-meter house, which had housed 8 persons, and destroyed it. An adjacent house was also damaged.
In the evening, the Israeli
Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein
told the Israeli General Security Service that they could deport to the Gaza Strip relatives of
Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israeli targets. He also
allowed selective demolishing of some of their houses. Immediately, the Israeli cabinet for
political and security issues decided to expel ‘Abdul Nasser Mustafa ‘Assida,
34, from Til village, southwest of Nablus, brother of Nasser al-Din ‘Assida who
is wanted by Israeli occupying forces; and Kifah Mohammed Ahmed ‘Ajouri, 28,
from ‘Askar refugee camp in Nablus, brother of ‘Ali ‘Ajouri who is also wanted
by Israeli occupying forces. The two
were arrested with 14 other Palestinians, relatives of wanted Palestinians, on
Friday, 19 July 2002.
Sixteen Palestinians
submitted a petition to the Israeli High Court against the expulsions, but the Israeli government
claimed that it had not taken a decision on their expulsion and when it takes a
decision it would give them 12 hours to appeal against the decision.
After the Israeli
government’s decision, Israeli occupying forces demolished and destroyed houses
of families of a number of Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israeli
targets as follows:
At approximately 02:30,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with tanks and armored personnel carriers,
invaded Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkrm. They surrounded the house of ‘Omar Hmdan
‘Oleyan in al-Manshia quarter. ‘Oleyan
is father of Ahmed ‘Oleyan who carried out a bombing in Netanya, north of Tel
Aviv, on 4 March 2001. Israeli forces
ordered residents of the house and neighboring houses to leave them immediately
without taking anything. At
approximately 02:45, Israeli soldiers destroyed the door of the house. At approximately 05:30, they totally
destroyed the 110-square-meter, two-story house over its contents. Nine persons, including five children used to
live in the house. In addition, 16
neighboring houses were damaged.
Also at approximately 02:30,
Israeli occupying forces surrounded the house of the family of Hatem Yaqin
Shwieki, who carried out a bombing in East Jerusalem on 4 November 2001. The 160-square-meter, three-story house, in
which 18 persons used to live, is located in ‘Eissi neighborhood in
Hebron. Israeli forces forced residents
of the house out and destroyed it.
At approximately 03:00,
Israeli occupying forces raided the house of ‘Ammar Ahmed Mahmoud Marmash, 29,
from Tulkarm, and arrested him. Marmash’s brother Mahmoud carried out a bombing in Netanya, north of Tel
Aviv, on 18 May 2002.
At approximately 01:10,
Israeli occupying forces surrounded the 160-square-meter house of Rasmi ‘Aaref
Doufash in al-Jilda neighborhood in Hebron. They forced its seven residents out and destroyed it. Doufash has been under administrative
detention by Israeli occupying forces since 29 April 2002. he is the father of Tariq Doufash who was
killed in an armed attack on “Adura” settlement, west of Hebron. Two neighboring houses were also
damaged.
At approximately 01:30,
Israeli occupying forces invaded til village, southwest of Nablus. They surrounded the house of Yousef Hamad
Rihan Hamad, father of ‘Assem Rihan who carried an armed attack on “Emanuel”
settlement in the north of the west Bank on 12 December 2001. Israeli forces forced residents of the house
out and destroyed it. Three neighboring
houses were also damaged. Upon their
withdrawal from the village, Israeli occupying forces arrested Rihan and three
of his son. Israeli forces shot dead
Rihan’s son Mohammed, 25, on 12 November 2001.
At the same time, Israeli
occupying forces invaded Talluza village, northeast of Nablus. They surrounded the house of Mashour Mohammed
‘Aamer ‘Aawisa. They forced residents of
the house out, and then an Israeli military bulldozer demolished it. The Israeli forces also arrested ‘Awaisa and
his son Maher, 22. ‘Aawisa is the father
of Mohammed ‘Awaisa who carried out a bombing in Jerusalem on 21 March
2002. Two neighboring houses were also
demolished and three others were damaged.
At approximately 02:00,
Israeli occupying forces invaded ‘Aqaba village, east of Nablus. They surrounded the 150-square-meter,
two-story house of Sahahil Ahmed Isma’il al-Masri, 50. They forced the 21 residents of the house
out, and then an Israeli military bulldozer demolished it. The Israeli forces also arrested al Masri and
three of his sons. Al-Masri is the father
of ‘Ezziddin al-Masri who carried out a bombing in Jerusalem on 8 September 2002.
At the same time, Israeli
occupying forces surrounded the house of Kamel Sa’id al-Zubeidi, 70, from
Nablus, father of ‘Emad al-Zubeidi, who carried out a bombing in Kfar Saba on
22 April 2001. They arrested him and his
two sons: Firas, 18; and Jamal, 16.
At approximately 03:00,
Israeli occupying forces surrounded the two-story house of Bahaa’ Yaqin Nasser
al-Din in ‘Eissi neighborhood in Hebron. They forced its seven residents out and destroyed it. Israeli forces had already raided the house
on Saturday, 3 August, thinking it was for the family of Fadi Mohammed Jamal
Dweik, 19, who is detained by Israeli occupying forces, accused of
participation in an armed attack on “Adura” settlement, west of Hebron, on 27
April 2002. Nasser al-Din had bought the
house from Dweik.
At the same time, Israeli
occupying forces invaded Seilat al-Harthia village, west of Jenin. They surrounded the 120-square-meter,
two-story house of ‘Eissa Khalil Asa’ad Tahaina. They forced its nine residents of the house
out, and then destroyed it. The Israeli
forces also arrested four of Tahaina’s sons. Tahaina is the father of ‘Abdul Karim Tahaina who carried out a bombing
in Afula in the north of Israel on 5 March 2002.
Also at the same time,
Israeli occupying forces invaded Qamatya village, southeast of Jenin. They surrounded al-Tazaza quarter in the
centre of the village and forced all its residents out of their houses. Then, Israeli soldiers destroyed the
120-square-meter, two-story of Mahmoud Baker Nasser, 70, in which seven persons
used to live. Two neighboring houses and
an animal farm were also destroyed, and 11 others were damaged. In addition, seven Palestinian civilians
were wounded by shrapnel.
At approximately 04:45,
Israeli occupying forces surrounded the house of ‘Arraf Hassan Samoudi in Abu
Duheir neighborhood in Jenin. They
forced the 25 residents of the two-story house out and then destroyed the
house. The Israeli forces also arrested
three of Samoudi’s sons: ‘Allam, 29; ‘Essam, 26; and Akram, 22. Samoudi is the father of Hamza Samudi who
carried out a bombing on 5 June 2002.
Israeli occupying forces
invaded al-Yamun village, west of Jenin. They surrounded the house of Mohammed Nemer Yousef Abu Sifein. They forced the 13 residents of the 120-square-meter,
two-story house out, and then destroyed it. The Israeli forces also arrested ‘Awaisa nd his son Maher, 22. Abu Sifein is the father of Nemer Abu Sifein
who carried out a bombing in Haifa on 12 September 2001.
At approximately 18:00, medical sources at Shifa’
Hospital in Gaza declared that Marwan Jamal Hussein Khayal, 69, from Gaza,
succumbed to a wound he sustained by Israeli occupying forces last month. Khaayal was wounded by a live bullet in the
left leg on 15 July, when Israeli occupying forces at the eastern border of the
Gaza Strip, east of Gaza City, fired at him for no apparent reason. Israeli forces arrested and interrogated him
for two hours. He was then evacuated to
the intensive care unit at Shifa’ Hospital, where he remained until his
death. According to his sister, he was
suffering from psychological disturbances.
In the
evening, Israeli occupying soldiers on armored personnel carrier in the centre
of Hebron fired at a Palestinian civilian car in al-Salam Street, killing
‘Abdul Rahim Ibrahim ‘Abdul Rahim al-Tawil, 42.
The victim’s brother stated:
“At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 3 August 2002, I
traveled from my family’s house in Wadi al-Haria area towards the central
market in Hebron. I was driving my
family’s car. My brother ‘Abdul Rahim,
42, was traveling with me. We had boxes
of tomatoes in the car which we took from our land to sell in the market. When we left the house, the curfew was still
lifted, shops were open and cars were moving. When we arrived at the traffic lights, I turned towards al-Salam
Street. I saw many cars traveling back. I asked drivers about the reason for their
movement back and they told me that an Israeli armored personnel carrier was
moving towards us. I tried to move back,
but the carrier was getting closer. Israeli soldiers fired three live bullets at our car, one of which hit
my brother in the face, the second one hit the door and wounded me in the left
thumb, while the third one hit the back door of the car. On my way home, I noticed that my brother was
dead. When I was relatively away from
the place of the incident I took my brother in another car to hospital.
*****
PCHR calls:
1. Upon the international community to provide immediate
and independent international protection for the Palestinian people in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth
Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene to take effective measures to protect
Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance
with their obligations under article 1 and article 146, to ensure the respect
of the Convention.
3. Upon the international community to investigate and
prosecute those believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories before international courts.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its
activities, and intensify its field operations throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the
Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect
human rights.
6. Upon the international community to provide
humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose living
conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of the continued siege
imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
